Mayoral Victory in San Diego Offers Some Hope to California’s Struggling G.O.P.

Kevin Faulconer, a Republican who was elected San Diego’s mayor, on Tuesday. He received 55 percent of the vote against his Democratic opponent.

Lenny Ignelzi / Associated Press

By LIAM DILLON and JENNIFER MEDINA

February 12, 2014

SAN DIEGO — The election of a Republican city councilman to become San Diego’s mayor became a rare bright spot for a party that has been eclipsed at the state level in California.

The victory by the councilman, Kevin Faulconer, on Tuesday will make San Diego the largest city in the nation run by a Republican, and it raises the possibility that he could become an important leader in the efforts to strengthen the party in California. Mr. Faulconer, 47, a former public relations executive, won with 55 percent of the vote, compared with 45 percent for his Democratic opponent, David Alvarez.

The special election came nearly six months after Bob Filner, the city’s first Democratic mayor in decades, resigned amid allegations that he had sexually harassed dozens of women, including many local leaders.

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“Together, we sent a very strong message tonight: that this city needs to have an independent leader, and that the city will stand up and work together,” Mr. Faulconer told supporters in downtown San Diego. “Every San Diegan has a chance at success and has a seat at the table.”

Mr. Faulconer said he would emphasize the “theme of inclusion,” hoping to unify residents of a city worn down by the scandals of his predecessor. “We know that this city has gone through a lot in the last year, but we knew that as San Diegans that we were better than that,” he said.

Mr. Alvarez, also a councilman, tried to ride a wave of liberal populism, focusing on issues like raising the minimum wage and providing new city services in struggling neighborhoods. Mr. Faulconer emphasized his stances on fiscal issues, like his support of overhauling pensions and contracting out city services, saying such efforts would enable the city to pay for other improvements.

In California, Democrats hold a supermajority in the state Legislature and all statewide elected offices. Though he has yet to announce his candidacy, the Democratic governor, Jerry Brown, is widely expected to run for re-election and to face two relatively unknown Republican challengers, which is likely to leave the balance of power in the state unchanged.

Jim Brulte, chairman of the California Republican Party, exulted in Mr. Faulconer’s win, saying in a statement, “This was a crucial step forward in our continuing efforts to rebuild the Republican Party from ground up.”

A day after his victory, Mr. Faulconer said in a telephone interview that he would immediately to turn his attention to bread-and-butter municipal issues that have broad support across the city’s political spectrum: hiring a diverse staff, recruiting police officers and spending more on street repairs. “I think you’re successful when you focus on the big issues that bring everyone together,” he said.

The race, in the United States’ eighth-largest city, attracted national attention, with Mr. Alvarez receiving an endorsement from President Obama in the campaign’s final days. National and local labor unions gave more than $4 million to support Mr. Alvarez’s campaign, which Mr. Faulconer repeatedly attacked as evidence that unions would have an outsize influence at City Hall.

The two candidates had battled over how to best improve the city’s economy. Mr. Alvarez called for a minimum-wage increase, while Mr. Faulconer said it was more important to encourage new businesses to open in the city. Mr. Faulconer had received crucial backing from the city’s developers and business leaders, as well as from former Mayor Jerry Sanders, a Republican who now leads the local Chamber of Commerce and remains one of the most popular politicians in the city.

Liam Dillon reported from San Diego, and Jennifer Medina from Fresno, Calif.